Policing Reviewing Use Of Helicopters Over Penn St. Tailgaters

Penn State banners hang over a tailgate in the parking lot surrounding Beaver Stadium before an NCAA college football game in 2015.

Gene J. Puskar
/ AP

The Pennsylvania State Police say they regret any damage that occurred last weekend when one of their helicopters flew low over a tailgating crowd before the Penn State-Ohio State game, sending tents and other items flying.

The agency released a statement Thursday that says it's "fully cooperating" with an investigation of the incident by the Federal Aviation Administration, and is doing its own review of what occurred.

Videos posted on social media show people's astonished reaction as the chopper loomed over revelers in the Beaver Stadium parking lot Saturday, hours before kickoff for the night game.

The pilot apparently was attempting to get low enough that an unruly crowd could hear a dispersal order.

State police say the pilot and supervisors didn't mean to disturb property.

Pennsylvania, one of the nation's most aggressive gambling states, appears weeks away from becoming the sixth state with sports betting after regulators Wednesday awarded the state's first sports betting licenses to two casinos.